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the turner thesis a historian's controversy by j a burkhart in 1893 members of the american historical association heard frederick jackson turner read a paper entitled " the signifi cance of the frontier in american history the paper had perhaps more profound influence than any other essay or volume ever written in american historiography yet more amazing than the influence of this paper was turner's ability living in the period about which he was writing to discern the effect of his era on american history as part of the drift turner was able to chart the course of the passing currents of american life according to the turner thesis the american frontier has presented a series of recurring social revolutions in different and changing geographical areas as the tide of empire moved for ward to win a continent from a raw and hostile wilderness.1 with constant re-exposure to relentless surroundings reestablishing and readjusting an old way of life and creating a process of start ing again from scratch " and working to a more advanced society there resulted that indefinable something which has been called americanization its fundamental sign was expansion its chief condition was constant readjustment its final result was ameri canization.2 professor j a burkhart is a member of the history faculty of stephens college columbia missouri in this paper he brings together the historians " pros and cons " of the turner frontier thesis he con cludes the controversy over turner with the solution that is advanced by professor john hicks in his the ecology of middle western historians in the wisconsin magazine of history 24:348 june 1941 1 turner the frontier in american history new york 1921 2 2 a number of excellent analyses and evaluations of the turner thesis have been made among the most significant are the following avery o craven " frederick jackson turner in the marcus w jernegan essays in american historiography chicago 1937 252-70 joseph schafer turner's frontier philosophy wisconsin magazine of history 16:451-69 june 1933 and frederic l paxson a generation of the frontier hypothesis pacific valley historical review 2:34-51 march 1933 70

The Turner Thesis, A Historian's Controversy: This essay opens by reviewing the argument made by Frederick Jackson Turner (1861-1932) in his seminal 1893 essay, "The Significance of the Frontier in American History" that argued that the repeated transformation of the westward-moving wilderness gave unique features to American character and society. It explicates Turner's argument in detail, and then provides equal space to criticisms of it voiced between 1926 and 1946. (14 pages)

Volume

031

Issue

1

Year

1947-1948

Decade

1920-1929; 1930-1939; 1940-1949;

Personal Name

Turner, Frederick Jackson, 1861-1932; Schafer, Joseph, 1867-1941;

Subject

Frontier thesis; Historians;

Full Text

the turner thesis a historian's controversy by j a burkhart in 1893 members of the american historical association heard frederick jackson turner read a paper entitled " the signifi cance of the frontier in american history the paper had perhaps more profound influence than any other essay or volume ever written in american historiography yet more amazing than the influence of this paper was turner's ability living in the period about which he was writing to discern the effect of his era on american history as part of the drift turner was able to chart the course of the passing currents of american life according to the turner thesis the american frontier has presented a series of recurring social revolutions in different and changing geographical areas as the tide of empire moved for ward to win a continent from a raw and hostile wilderness.1 with constant re-exposure to relentless surroundings reestablishing and readjusting an old way of life and creating a process of start ing again from scratch " and working to a more advanced society there resulted that indefinable something which has been called americanization its fundamental sign was expansion its chief condition was constant readjustment its final result was ameri canization.2 professor j a burkhart is a member of the history faculty of stephens college columbia missouri in this paper he brings together the historians " pros and cons " of the turner frontier thesis he con cludes the controversy over turner with the solution that is advanced by professor john hicks in his the ecology of middle western historians in the wisconsin magazine of history 24:348 june 1941 1 turner the frontier in american history new york 1921 2 2 a number of excellent analyses and evaluations of the turner thesis have been made among the most significant are the following avery o craven " frederick jackson turner in the marcus w jernegan essays in american historiography chicago 1937 252-70 joseph schafer turner's frontier philosophy wisconsin magazine of history 16:451-69 june 1933 and frederic l paxson a generation of the frontier hypothesis pacific valley historical review 2:34-51 march 1933 70